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Silver Unit Snake Supernova
| Issuer | Trinovantes tribe (Celtic Britain) |
|---|---|
| Year | 55 BC - 45 BC |
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| Value | Silver Unit |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Highly stylised Celtic facing head depicted in a schematic, abstract manner characteristic of Late Iron Age British coinage. The visage is rendered with a prominent pellet-and-ring eye, a angular nose formed by a raised ridge, and parallel linear striations suggesting a beard or chin ornamentation at the lower left. The surrounding field is filled with intricate curvilinear scrollwork, whorls, and pellet motifs derived from the La Tène artistic tradition, dissolving the facial features into an elaborate decorative composition. No legend or inscription is present, consistent with the uninscribed tradition of the Trinovantian silver unit series. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Stylised horse or zoomorphic figure depicted in a highly abstracted Celtic manner, progressing across the flan with a sinuous, arched body. A large serpentine or snake-like element curves prominently above or around the animal, consistent with the 'Snake' typological attribution of this series. The field is densely populated with decorative devices including rayed star or sunburst motifs, pellet-and-ring ornaments, annulets, and scattered pellets arranged in a dynamic, asymmetrical composition evoking a supernova or celestial explosion. The border is defined by a cable or beaded cordon. No inscription is present. |
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| Additional information |
The Trinovantes occupied what is now Essex and southern Suffolk, and by the mid-first century BC were operating under significant pressure from the expanding Catuvellauni to the west. Julius Caesar's two expeditions to Britain in 55 and 54 BC directly involved the tribe — he recorded them as allies against Cassivellaunus, and it is within this turbulent decade that these small silver units were produced. Whether that political alignment influenced the mint's output in any measurable way remains an open question.
The ABC 2361–2367 range covers several die variants within the Snake Supernova type, suggesting a sustained if modest production run across the decade.